Get to Ha Giang from Hanoi
From Hanoi, you can go to Ha Giang either by motorbike (which takes from 8 to 10 hours as the distance from Hanoi to Ha Giang is 300 km), by rental car, by coach or by night bus (with berths).
Coaches from Hanoi to Ha Giang: Coaches and night buses from Hanoi to Ha Giang mostly run from My Dinh station. I’d recommend booking your coach ticket via vexere.com, where you can compare the price and time of different buses and pay online using Visa or Mastercard. Otherwise, buying tickets directly at My Dinh station is also fine. Some coach companies also allow you to bring along your motorbike for an extra fee (call them to check beforehand).
Hiring a car from Hanoi to Ha Giang: Here are some travel companies you can contact. Note that drivers often don’t speak much English, if you need an English speaking driver so you can ask Mr. Minh (Car & Motorbike rental in Ha Giang https://thuexehagiang.com). You will also need to find an English-speaking guide (US$45 / day) who will explain to you about the places and assist you if something happens on the road.
Car & Motorbike rental in Ha Giang:
- US$440 / 4-seat car / 5 days
- US$485 / 7-seat car / 5 days
Including gas, road tolls, parking fees and driver
1,800,000 VND / day / 7-seat car including gas and driver
Get to Ha Giang from Sapa / Lao Cai
There are 2 daily coaches (6am and 11am) that depart from Lao Cai to Ha Giang City. The coach takes around 5–6 hours and costs VND 120 000 / ticket (around US$6). If you’re in Sapa, this means you need to go back to Lao Cai the night before departure to Ha Giang.
Note: Please go to Lao Cai Bus station and check the bus timetable there beforehand as departure time might change.
Travel around Ha Giang
By bus
After arriving in Ha Giang city the next morning, you can take another bus to Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van or Meo Vac depending on your travel itinerary. Remember to ask the bus driver about the return time, in case you want to get back to Ha Giang city.
Then, you need to catch a motorbike taxi (xe om) to the attractions in these districts. You’d better have your itinerary ready by the time you find a xe om in Ha Giang city. You can then show him places in your itinerary that you want to go to. The main disadvantage of xe om (motorbike taxi) is that most of the time, you will find it hard to communicate to the driver without knowing Vietnamese.
Here are some buses from Ha Giang city to Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van and Meo Vac. (Source: cungphuot.info)
Ha Giang City — Quan Ba
CƯỜNG THÚY (Runs from Ha Giang at 5–6am) — Tel: 0915 407522
THẮNG PHƯỢNG (Runs from Ha Giang at 11:30am) — Tel: 0915 185434
TÂN YÊN (Runs from Ha Giang at 12:00) — Tel: 0912 369134
Ha Giang City — Yen Minh
NGỌC CƯỜNG (Runs from Ha Giang at12:00–13:00) — Tel: 0904 256279
HOÀNG TUYÊN (Runs from Ha Giang at15:30) — Tel: 0912 120566
Ha Giang City — Dong Van
CẦU MÈ (Runs from Ha Giang at 5:00–12:00) — Tel: 0915 448933
A SINH (Runs from Ha Giang at 5:00–12:00) — Tel: 0984 520371
TRUNG YẾN (Runs from Ha Giang at 12:30) — Tel: 0979 682261
Ha Giang City — Meo Vac
HOÀNG TÀI (Runs from Ha Giang at 5:00–11:30) — Tel: 0912394082
CẦU MÈ (Runs from Ha Giang at 5:00) — Tel: 0167 2116226
NGỌC KHÁNH (Runs from Ha Giang at 9:00) — Tel: 0987 382992
QUANG NGHỊ (Runs from Ha Giang at 10:30–12:30) — Tel: 0946744733
By motorbike
Alternatively, you can rent a motorbike in Ha Giang city and ride by yourself. Prepare a photocopy of your passport for the motorbike owner to keep. Here are some addresses where you can rent motorbike in Ha Giang:
Ha Giang Transports and Tours (English-speaking)
Add: Quyet Thang St., Ngoc Ha, Ha Giang city
Tel: +8425331983
Website: https://thuexehagiang.com
Mr. Nam (English-speaking)
Tel: +84902093223
Bong Hostel (English-speaking)
Add: 63–65 Minh Khai St., Ha Giang city
Tel: +84944502020
Giang Son
Add: To 18 phuong Nguyen Trai, close to the bus station
Tel: 094 171 99 85 / 0988 470893
Mr. Linh
Add: 218 To 15, Phuong Nguyen Trai
Tel: 0973 695 943 / 0976 290 879
Mr. Viet
4 Cau Me, To 18
0918 656 878 / 0964 056888
By car
To rent 4-seat to 29-seat cars in Ha Giang City, contact Mr. Minh(Tel: +84825331983). This option is suitable for groups of 3 or more people.
The roads in Ha Giang are pretty much like this